Ingram Chronicles
by Yuzuki Akahime
Summary: In the world of Enceris, a supermassive dungeon had been discovered. After a tragic event, Theo is forced to approach the dungeon and to pave his own path to greatness. However, he had always been a coward who cursed his title as Prince, and he turned his back on his kingdom. On his adventure to conquer the dungeon, Theo will rediscover himself as he discovers the truth.
1. Prologue: To Challenge the God

Prologue

Arc 0: Tales of Old

* * *

**To Challenge the God**

Long ago in ancient times, the world of Enceris was created by an entity of magnitudinous power. This entity was known as Vi Dominus, who let himself be known as the ruler of the world. Kingdoms and nations worshipped him, and treated him as a god of this world. Dominus gifted the world with knowledge, and he explained to them the division of power in the world of the divine. First, there were those who were gifted the title Quod, they were usually humans/lesser beings who have paved their way to surpassing their human limits, and achieving divinity. The Quod was the only group that understands the hardships of humanity alike, and they usually become leaders of great nations and kingdoms for centuries to come. However, they are not only leaders, when trouble arises they will usually become the Heroes that save the day. The next in line were the Alfa, beings who were born outside of the reach of humanity and lesser beings. They were born with powers that had already surpassed those around them, and usually become entities known as angels, demons, or legendary figures/beasts that people dare know of. They do not necessarily use their power for good, as some despised humanity while some adored it. Lastly, above the Quod and Alfa, were the Veritas Ignis (Vi for short). These are beings that manifest form when called upon by the masses of the Alfa and Quod, they heed their calls and exist for one given sole purpose. They posses power strong enough to create and take life, to give way to entire civilizations or bring extinction. As the years passed, Enceris began to prosper as they worshipped Dominus, who gave them their every desire in return for absolute allegiance.

As the centuries passed, however, Dominus's name was challenged. Liberus, the King of one of the largest kingdoms had questioned the existence of Dominus. He said that if those with the title of Vi existed for one sole purpose, and once the purpose was fulfilled they would cease to exist, only to be forgotten and overwritten by the stories of the Alfa, then how come Dominus had existed for so long? He pointed out that not once had Dominus stated his purpose of being, and that Dominus had been worshipped as a God, meaning he would not be forgotten. The next day, Liberus would take these inquiries to Dominus, only to be murdered in front of thousands before he could leave his kingdom. Dominus swooped down from the skies, crushing the cart that was carrying the King. He lifted his already fatally wounded body from the debris, and in front of his people, Dominus beheaded the man and left in an instant. This event became known as the Vocare ad Epanastasi, and it changed the fate of four humans.

Less than 3 years later, war was waged on Vi Dominus. Liberus's kingdom, Irela, had begun to resent God himself. There trained four gifted people, who had risen to greatness, and for their declaration of war against Dominus, became known as the IV Quod Aequitatis:

Belial, a revered warrior who could single-handedly take on an army. His presence was able to invoke the inner battle within his peers, and he inspired many to pick up a weapon and fight. With his pride and valor, the people associated and symbolized him with Fire.

Lyra, a mage who was always on the side of nature. It was said she could speak and recruit animals, beasts and spirits alike to fight alongside her. With her calm spirit and grace, the people associated and symbolized her with Water.

Caine, an archer who is believed to hold the highest kill count. Many believed he had never missed a shot, for the path of his arrows seemed to defy the terrain, and even if he had missed, there were more arrows to follow. With his resilience and tenacity, the people associated and symbolized him with Earth.

Astid, a swordsman who devoted his life to slay Dominus. Ever since his King was slain in front of his eyes, he vowed his life to his sword. He acted in the shadows, and his presence was low, but his will was above all. With his perseverance and his devotion, the people associated and symbolized him with Wind.

They fought valiantly against the other kingdoms that were under Dominus's control. Along the way, the four heroes were met by two Alfa's, one taking the form of an angel and the other of a headless knight. They informed the heroes that Dominus was a false god, his true identity was Alfa Lucius, a powerful being, and for centuries he had deceived the human race to make a name for himself. Lucius was considered to be one of the more powerful Alfa's, which made him a formidable opponent. The Alfa taking the form of an angel was Alfa Marian, and the headless knight was Alfa Uther. They reunited once again in the climax of the war, in an empty field that was deprived of society or civilization.

"You four, the responsibility on your hands is greater than ever. This will be your final fight, are you prepared?" said Marian, who was ready to fight Dominus.

Astid stepped forward and looked at Marian. "Prepared? We've been preparing for three years, and I've been waiting for behead that monster the whole time. Of course I am ready. How about you guys?"

The three of them nodded. Belial stepped forward and spoke up, "You damned brat, don't speak for all of us. You're not the only one who wants to slay this beast."

"Beli, calm down. Now is not the time to get angry at each other." Lyra gracefully added. "Everyone, I am not sure if I will be alive after this. After all, my role in supporting you all is a dangerous one, who knows how easy it will be to pick me off once I am vulnerable."

"Don't talk as if the battle has been decided. We're all making it out of here alive." Caine said, worrying for Lyra. "Either way, It's not like your back isn't being supported. If that fiend tries to harm you, I promise you my arrows will pierce right through him!"

Lyra laughed. "Thanks, I wasn't trying to dampen the mood, just trying to bring reality into the situation, really. I'll always put up a fight!"

Uther took the stand and unsheathed his large sword. He struck the ground with it and rested his hands on the guard. "Now then, get to your places. In a few moments, a magic circle will surround this sword. Lucius will be summoned to this area, and I will put a binding curse on him to assure he will not be able to leave the premises. Whether or not I live is a trivial matter, for I have waited my whole life to rid this world of corruption."

They all nodded their heads and got into position. Belial and Astid stood near Uther, only slightly further. Lyra was behind them, even further back. Caine was the furthest, who was hidden from sight but had a clear shot. The magic circle began to form, and the aura around Uther began to glow. It was now or never.

The silhouette of Lucius started to form, and Uther chanted: "Inimicos meos vincula; Astringe!". The silhouette slowly began to take the form of Lucius, after the chant, it seemed as if Lucius was in pain. Uther reached into the silhouette to grab his sword, and the moment his sword was pulled from the ground, Lucius was released into the area with a massive explosion of energy.

"You fools dare challenge the God of this world? I will put you in your place!" Lucius yelled as he soared into the sky. However, as he looked up, the first thing he could see was Marian, who had already slashed her blade at him. It seemed as though the sword had gone right through his body, for the slash was quick. Moments later, however, Lucius began to strike back, as he and Marian engaged in combat.

"_Here is the plan,'' said Marian. "When Lucius first appears, Uther will bind him to this land. He will most likely take the skies, where I will make the first strike, initiating the battle. Here, I will fight Lucius and most likely die. After our battle, he will be injured heavily, he will definitely be unable to take flight. Caine, I want you to shoot nearby Lucius, but never directly at him, for he will make you his next target. I want you to limit his movement. When grounded, Uther will restrict him yet again, freezing him in place. This is when you four begin your assault. Good luck."_

The attacks made by Lucius were so powerful that claw marks could be visibly seen in the air. Blow after blow, block after block, constant hits being traded between Marian and Lucius, it was sadly obvious that Marian was beginning to attack slower and weaker, while Lucius kept on with his assault. In that moment, Lucius' eyes began to glow, as he delivered a fatal blow to Marian, slashing right through the center of her body, an attack so powerful it broke through her blocking. The injured Marian moved forward and grabbed onto Lucius, and she temporarily restricted him from moving. With the rest of her power and life, she chanted: "Id est animam pro anima!" and began to glow, the clouds opened up and a streak of light had shone onto her. Her body began to emit the same light, as her life force was converted into an attack, a massive explosion of light and energy filled the sky, nearly blinding everyone. After the light dimmed down, Lucius began to fall from the sky, and Marian was nowhere to be seen.

"I've got you now!" yelled Uther, whose body began to expand from his armor to envelop Lucius. As he hit the ground, he was surrounded in the void that was Uther's body, but it was not long before this void vanished along with Uther. Both beings had given their life, Marian severely injured Lucius and Uther had restricted his movement further, lowering his fighting capability to a human level. The four heroes wiped the tears from their eyes, and they prepared their first attacks. Astid, in a fit of anger, rushed in for the first strike.

"You idiot, don't go yet! This wasn't the plan!" Belial yelled, attempting to recall his friend.

"I don't give a damn about the plan! His head is mine!"

As Astid dashed forward with his sword in hand, he was getting ready for an all-out strike, putting all his power into one attack. However, his eyes slowly began to widen, as he slowly approached his target. Lucius looked down at the man running at him, and the malicious smile on his face said it all: Astid had made a mistake.

"Come, little one. It is time for you to face judgement!"


	2. Prologue: Cry for Help

Prologue

Arc 0: Tales of Old

* * *

**Cry for Help**

Closing his eyes, Astid dashed forward towards the demon. With speed and precision, it seemed like he was going to land the strike. However, Lucius seemed to welcome him with open arms, as his claws were ready to slash him the moment he gets close. Before Astid's sword could make contact, arrows pierced the wind and pierced the beast.

"Astid, get your ass away from him!" Belial called yet again, "Return to your formation!"

Finally coming to his senses, he quickly came to a halt and ran back halfway. He turned around and entered his fighting stance again. Lucius, who was barely affected by the arrows, remained still. He was unable to move for a while, as he was still bound by Uther. Belial and Astid awaited the cue.

_"When Lucius is unable to move, we must strike powerfully. I want each of you to wait for me to call upon spirits, I will have them assist you. I'm sure they will listen to my calls, and they will definitely respect you all."_ _Lyra said, plotting out their attack. "You will know when a spirit has accepted the call, the moment you understand, wait for everyone else. The cue will be when Caine shoots a special arrow that has been imbued with spiritual power."_

Astid was eagerly waiting, not just for the arrow but for him to know when a spirit had accepted the call. Moments later, Belial began to raise his voice.

"W-Woah…" he exclaimed in awe, as he looked at the edge of his spear which was being engulfed in flames. "Is this… the spiritual power? Fire, huh… it sure fits me well." Not only his spear, Belial could feel his body strengthen. He could feel the power of the spirit running through his body. A faint voice could be heard, only by Belial. _"Reach out your hand." _And that he did, and to his surprise, a flame had risen from the palm of his hand. He stared in amazement, he couldn't feel the warmth of the fire, but the spirit was creating it; they were creating it.

Astid looked at Belial. Suddenly, he felt a presence as well. He looked at the ground, as a spiral of wind was forming at his feet, slowly rising up his legs. "E-Eh?!" It took him awhile to realize it was a spirit, for the spiral quickly engulfed his entire body before dissipating. After the wind vanished, Astid could feel his body become more agile. Movement was easy and quicker, and he could process information faster. He remembered how Belial could emit a flame, so he took it a step further. He took his left hand and brushed his sword, from the hilt to the edge and felt the spiritual energy disperse from his hand out. He was covering his sword in a faint spiral of wind, which made it faster and easier to wield. "Alright, that should do it!"

Belial, who had already begun to play around with fire creation, was getting into battle stance. Astid had already been ready, and in that moment, an arrow came down from far away. It was at such a speed that it whistled as it traveled through the air, and the content of the arrow seemed to be indistinguishable. Caine, who had no clue whether or not a spirit had accepted him, learned through his arrows. As he touched his arrows, they began to harden and sharpen, but it did not weigh them down. The more he played around with it, he created the perfect set of arrows: Powerfully dense and deadly sharp, insanely light and aerodynamic. These arrows were so perfect that as they travelled, a streak of wind passed. As the arrow hit Lucius, Astid and Belial began to attack Lucius. Lyra summoned beasts that had sworn allegiance to her to attack Lucius from behind, as well as strengthen the spirits that empowered the other heroes.

"I wanted to create a world… A world where there was no war between differences in belief…" Lucius began to speak, his body slowly regaining movement. Belial began to rush, however Astid was able to reach Lucius first. He raised his blade and he struck Lucius right in the torso, and repeatedly slashed at him nonstop. "A world… where there was no war between nations…"

"Shut your mouth! You created a lie, you lied to us all!" Belial yelled as he charged, lunging his spear into Lucius's chest. He pulled out a dagger and started stabbing Lucius.

"But you humans… started a war… anyways!" Lucius yelled, as he suddenly began moving. Belial flinched backwards by reflex, however Astid was still striking him without stopping. The beasts behind Lucius started attacking as well, there was a large dire wolf that gnawed at Lucius's leg. Nature also responded to Lyra, as Lucius's feet were being restricted by roots.

"Belial, get back to attacking! Weaken him as much as possible!" Caine yelled, as he began running forward. The closer he was, the faster his shots reached his target. As he ran, he shot multiple barrages of arrows that decorated the arms and head of Lucius. Nothing seemed to be piercing him, but the damage was definitely being done.

Belial, unsure whether or not Lucius was even being injured, returned to attacking. It felt as if an imminent death was waiting around the corner, but he remembered that he is throwing his life into this attack. He yelled as he began igniting Lucius with fire. "Take this you damn monster!"

"Step back!" Lucius yelled, creating a shockwave that knocked back Astid and Belial back, removing the spear and all the arrows from his body. He turned around quickly, ripping the roots off of his feet. He sprinted towards the dire wolf that was knocked back, and both the wolf and him charged at each other. Lyra attempted to stop him, but the roots under Lucius were decaying with every step he made. Lucius quickly clashed with the wolf, knocking it unconscious upon the first hit before picking him up and throwing him at Belial.

"Look out!" The wolf struck Belial before he knew it, and he was left immobilized on the ground. Astid used his power to lift up the wolf, but as he was doing this, Lucius was already making his way towards him. Astid went into battle formation yet again, but he did not charge in. As he approached, Lucius was preparing to attack, his arms in the air and his claws out. With one strike, Lucius struck his hand down at Astid, however it appears that he had struck nothing. Astid used the power of his spirit to quickly evade the attack, and he jumped at Lucius from behind him. He climbed his body and began to strike his back, and Lucius struggled to get him off. "You're insane!" Belial called out, as he reached for his spear that was ejected. He stood up and began hacking at Lucius's legs, it appeared to be injuring him as he began to limp. He started burning his legs as well, however Lucius kicked him far away, immobilizing him yet again.

"Belial!" Lyra yelled, as she ran over to tend to his wounds. She used healing magic that sped up time to patch his injuries, however Belial was exhausted and barely awake. "Don't worry, we're almost done here." She said, as she began to switch from support to assault. "Azure Crystallis!" she chanted, as icicles began to form and launch themselves at Lucius.

"You… damned humans!" He yelled in pain, as he began to charge at Lyra. "I don't think so, asshole!" Caine yelled back, as he threw a massive rock at Lucius. The rock he threw was physically altered, just like his arrows. Each rock he threw was more powerful rather than precise, and Lucius was slowing down.

"Everyone, attack at once!" Astid yelled, as he jumped off of Lucius into the air, preparing for a projectile strike of wind. "Anemos Lepida!" he chanted, as he struck the air with his blade and sent out a powerful gust of wind.

"Azure Lepida!" Lyra chanted as well, as a powerful slash of water traveled the air towards Lucius.

Caine picked up Belial's spear and began to change its physical structure. He made it as heavy as possible, to increase the density. He made it sharper, and as he struggled picking it up, he chanted as he threw the flaming spear: "Fotiaa Apergia!"

As each attack pierced through Lucius, he fell to his knees and was unable to fight anymore. "Curses…" he said, looking down.

"It's over," Astid said, walking towards Lucius slowly. "You pay right here."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Astid attempted to begin running, but he was knocked off balance. "Shit!"

"It's over? I guess it is… if I will die, then I shall die with my creation. You can watch as it happens!" A massive magic circle surrounded all of them, as they quickly changed locations. They returned to Lucius's main domain, surrounded by many kingdoms and nations.

"No… you can't!" Lyra yelled, however she was low on mana.

"Damn you!" Caine readied his bow once again, but missed each shot due to the shaking ground.

"It is time for judgement!" The ground began to rise, houses and pieces of earth being raised into the sky, clashing into each other. For miles and miles, the ground rose and kingdoms were being destroyed. "I will use every last bit of my life force to destroy what I have created!"

The heroes could not help but watch, as they were being separated by the floating debris and sent away. As time passed, kingdoms were reduced to rubble and ruins, and large pieces of land were being launched into the ground, creating craters and explosions. It was a myriad of destruction, countless of lives lost. In that final moment, Astid stood up from the rubble and spoke.

_"Now remember," Marian began to explain, "The Vi do exist. However, it is not the masses that call upon them. It is the voice of a true soul in distress."_

_ "So what you're saying is at this moment right now, I can call upon the Vi?" asked Belial._

_ "No, It's not that simple. You have to truly be in distress, and your heart and mind have to be set on one goal. It sounds easy, but when a human is distressed, there are many things that go in on their mind. Both requirements contradict each other."_

_ "I guess so."_

_ "Now, there is one issue. The Vi have to possess a vessel, meaning the one who calls them will house that entity until they fulfill their task. This means both the Vi and the vessel will vanish."_

_ "Wait… are you saying It's a suicide pact?"_

_ "Precisely."_

Astid looked around to find his friends. Lyra was lying down nearby, and Caine was on a roof unconscious. He then closed his eyes and smiled, and then stared at Lucius. He took a deep breath and began to chant. "True danger waits before me, as I plead, let it not be in vain. If you are out there, please heed my call! I cry prayers, come to me, Veritas Ignis!"

Shortly after he yelled, his body began to shine. It felt as if a god had descended down to the world, a light so bright that it rivaled the sun. After it dimmed, Astid was no longer where he lied. His body had grown wings, and it left a trail of wind as it flew towards Lucius. With one strike, he cut the mad demon in half, and returned to repeatedly sever his body until he was nothing but dust. The destruction then stopped spreading, meaning some kingdoms were safe from the judgement that would have spread and reshaped the entire world. It was a quick task, but at a high price. He returned to the ground near Lyra.

"Why… why would you sacrifice yourself..?"

"I had to. I can't let that monster get what he wants."

"Astid…" she tried to stand up.

"Hey, you're still wounded… stay rested, I'll bring you to safety." He lifted her up and began to fly back to the Kingdom of Irela, which was far away from the main domain.

"Astid… how are you able to be… yourself? Aren't you possessed by the Vi?"

"I'm not so sure myself. I think it was the wind spirit that had already accepted me that is possessing me."

"But what did you desire? Isn't Lucius already gone? Was that not your wish?"

"No… I wished for the safety of my friends. Lucius was in the way of that."

"But what about Caine? Was it okay to leave him there?"

"I need him and Belial to stay behind, I know they are strong and will soon be back in condition. They have to help the survivors. I've told them before already, after the battle, they have to return to the kingdom. Bring any survivors they can on the way."

Lyra had a sudden realization. She was the only one that needed to be put to safety.

"Put me down… put me down now!"

"W-Woah, calm down! You're still injured…"

"I don't care! I don't give a damn! Put me down and leave me here!"

"Lyra…"

"If we go back… If we get back to the kingdom, you'll die… You'll vanish along with the Vi, I can't let that happen!"

Astid stayed silent. "Hey, Lyra… Thank you." He used his power to slowly put her to sleep.

"Astid… please don't… do…"

"Sleep well, Lyra. Wake up to a beautiful world, one where we are free. Lead this world, establish a new belief. When you meet up with the others, have them help you. I want you to live happily, even if you have to do so in a world without me." Astid wiped a tear from his eye, as he began to approach the kingdom. "We did it. We challenged God, we won. We've saved our future. It's all thanks to you, to Belial, to Caine, all of us. Thank you."


	3. Prologue: Predicament

Prologue

Arc 0: Tales of Old

* * *

**Predicament**

After flying for hours, Astid had finally reached the kingdom. He made a grand entrance, as he looked like an angel coming down from the heavens. The people of Irela all gathered around as he landed on a platform, holding onto Lyra. They asked questions like, "Did we win the war?" or "Where are the others?" Astid stood there, still carrying Lyra, and began to speak to the people who would pave the way to the future.

"People of this great kingdom, I am here to inform you that the Quod Aequitatis have emerged victorious, and we have cleansed this planet of the mad God. In my hands right now is your new leader, when she regains consciousness, please allow her to be your new queen. I believe she will lead this kingdom to its true greatness. Trust her, have faith in her, believe in her and depend on her." Astid spoke powerfully, looking at both the people who were beginning to tear up and Lyra, who was asleep in his hands. "It has been an honor serving you as your temporary king. It has been fun going on adventure with everybody. It has been my duty to protect you all. If you are wondering where the other two are, I have left them to care for the survivors." Astid flew down into the crowd of the masses and called upon his most trusted friend, Dane.

"Yes, my liege?" Dane asked. Astid handed Lyra over to him, as he did so, his body slowly began to glow as he started to vanish into nothing, starting from his feet and making its way up. "In order to win this war, a sacrifice had to have been made. But do not fret, for I will return one day. When your prosperity is breached, I will come back and bring salvation." Astid began to cry as his body slowly faded away. "I love you all, prove to me that you can give birth to a kingdom greater than ever!" His body had completely dissipated, as the glowing dimmed out and all that was left was nothing.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the mainland, Caine had awoken. When he came to, he was surrounded by the remains of destroyed kingdoms, rubble, and human bodies that were ripped apart. He was horrified and afraid, he was not sure what the outcome of the battle was. However, to his nature, he knew his first job was to search and scout for survivors. He made his way to a tall pillar, but when he began to search with his precise vision, there was not a sign of life for miles. He jumped down and rushed over to Belial, who was unconscious as well.

"Hey, wake up! We need to leave!" Belial's eyebrows began to twitch as he slowly awoke, his body sore and injured.

"God damn, what is this feeling? I can hardly move…" Just then, Belial looked around. The destruction of nations and the death of countless people who mindlessly followed Alfa Lucius. A sudden anger had forced him on his feet.

"What is this… Can we really call this a victory?"

"There are no signs of life, meaning nobody is alive… including Lucius."

"Forget that, I don't give a damn! What kind of outcome is this?! We came here to save these people, yet now we walk among the dead!" Belial yelled in anger. Suddenly, there was a warped radiance that had appeared in the sky, one similar to that of Alfa Lucius.

"No way… What the hell is that…" Belial pointed at the light, getting Caine's attention. The light did not appear to have a silhouette or figure, but the ominous light was definitely the presence of Lucius. Moments later, it began to chant.

_"From the edges of my being to the center of my life, for all which that derives from me and ends by me, I shall not leave your legacy in vain." _Suddenly, the scrapped bodies of those who died began to rise from the rubble.

"What the hell is this?! We have to get out of here, Caine!"

Caine nodded. "North west to Irela, can you still move?"

"You think I have a choice? Go ahead, get outta here. I'll be right behind you."

"Alright." Caine began to sprint towards Irela, a long distance. He was more agile than Belial, so he quickly jumped through the rubble. Belial began to leave, however, he remained. He wanted to know what was going on, and what this radiance was doing.

_"Your lives shall be remembered by this world, even if they are forgotten by humans alike."_ The body parts began to scatter and launch haphazardly. Upon colliding with the ground, they formed large rocks that seemed to be runes of some sort. The people who had lost their lives had their bodies turned into artifacts, bound to the stone. Just then, the radiance began to take the form of Lucius.

"Shit!" Belial yelled, afraid that they might have lost instead of succeed. He reached for his spear, but he was too weak to engulf it in flames.

_"As for me, I shall be remembered as tragedy, a catharsis. Let my true name not be sullied!"_ The ground began to shake, as the body began to sink into the ground, creating a massive hole. Belial watched as it slowly carved the planet, and to his amazement, the hole seemed to be taking shape. Stone began to form, making the hole seem like a structure built by man. There were floors, walls, and paths, and there were various elements. Belial stared in amazement until the hole was finally covered, and surrounded by a bizarre magical aura.

"Well, that answers my question. Time to leave." He began to walk home, the ground much more smooth with the absence of rubble and dead bodies. However, he noticed a sword in the ground nearby. "Wait a second… could that be…" He rushed over to the sword. "There's no mistake, this belongs to Astid." He clenched his fist." That bastard… don't tell me he died…" He picked up the sword and sheathed it to his side, and was on his way to Irela.

* * *

The two heroes eventually met up, and they safely made it to Irela 2 months later. After their long expedition, they were met by Lyra, who had become the new ruler of the kingdom. They exchanged their greetings and Lyra assured that Astid did not die in battle, but he sacrificed himself to defeat Lucius and safely returned her. Lyra urged them to stay in the kingdom and to help it prosper, however they both declined. Caine left the kingdom and traveled east with his party and followers. There, he pledged to establish a new kingdom. It started out as a small town, but in a few years, the new kingdom of Scyte began to make its way onto maps. As for Belial, he left not with his followers but hand picked people who he admired and respected. He left north, and with the use of newfound magic, the kingdom of Ingram was quickly shaped. These kingdoms became to be known as the Three Great Kingdoms, however none had dared step back into the mainland. As time passed, it became blasphemy to enter the mainland. That did not stop Belial, who left his kingdom 20 years later to the mainland alone, carrying both his spear and Astid's sword. His goals and whereabouts were unknown, but what is known is that he never returned. As more time passed, the heroes had lived their lives and died of age, and their place was taken by their successors. Due to the absence of humans, new races began to appear, such as the Elves, Demihumans, Fairies and more. Each kingdom continued to prosper as they accepted each race in peacefully, creating a unique society, advancing in technology, magic, and technique. The three kingdoms decided to begin exploring the mainland, which they had named the ruined land. They sent multiple expeditions to explore, and they found great treasures: Runes of old that told the stories of ancient times, artifacts that were unique and of their own kind, and structures that looked like they were built by ancient civilizations. However, there was one area in particular that piqued the interest of the current rulers. There was no visible building at first, but a powerful magic field. When excavated, there was a massive stone structure that seemed to lead underground. This structure was eerie, and the aura was ominous. As the expedition returned, the rulers had decided to give it an official name. The mysterious stone structure had come to be known as Uther's Dungeon.


	4. Kingdom Come

Chapter I

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**Kingdom Come**

The three great kingdoms of the country: Irela, a rich kingdom known for its peace, prosperity, and judgement. Scyte, a fearsome kingdom that houses powerful and renowned warriors. Ingram, a devout kingdom that focuses on furthering knowledge and psyche prowess, the fundamental power of this world. These great kingdoms have met together on this day to discuss how to approach a recent phenomenon that had been discovered. The attendants of the meeting are as follows: representing Scyte, King Sirius of Scyte and his son, Prince Charles; representing Ingram, Queen Athalia and feared Duke Darus; representing Ingram, King Hyland and his two sons, Prince Aran and Theo. The meeting was about to begin.

"So, how shall we deal with this?" initiated Charles.

"Well first off, we have to offer what we know about this place." added Darus. "Would anyone like to go first?" Nobody answered. "Very well, our explorers have discovered this place to be a massive structure that continues downwards. It's a dungeon, alright, but an irregularly massive one. The leader of the expedition had found engraved ancient text on the walls that, when translated, reads "Uther." Anyways, each dungeon appears to be divided into five sectors, but despite this, each area is larger than your average dungeon. Despite all we know, we were unable to uncover the layout past the 7th floor down." Darus spoke, dominating the table.

"Ahem," Prince Aran cleared his throat. Aran was known for being prophesied for greatness, which stated that he shall be known around the world as their king. "While it is important that we know what we are going into, and I thank you for sharing, we still do not know how to approach this. There is a mysterious magical aura around it, but it appears that it doesn't get in the way of entrance; it means it serves a different purpose. I believe we should send volunteers; the adventurer's guild, to enter the dungeon first. Any objections?"

"I object!" A powerful voice responded, belonging to Charles of Scyte. "Why would we send mere adventurers? They will be massacred! For a job like this, we should send our strongest warriors directly from the capital, and quickly get the job done."

"That's a very ignorant perspective," voiced Queen Athalia, "What will you do if it is too much for your warriors, and they get massacred? Who will protect your capital? Don't raise your voice unless you have beneficial information." Her remark seemed to be the most demanding of attention, as nobody spoke until King Hyland did.

"Now now, there is no need to throw remarks at others. I believe there are no objections, so we know what to start with. However, we must discuss plans in case of what-if scenarios." The meeting went on for hours. Everybody spoke their thoughts, opinions and ideas. The three kingdoms agreed to evenly split the findings, and to contribute as strategically as possible. However, only one person at the meeting stayed silent. In fact, he refused to make eye contact with anybody. He sat in his seat and proceeded to look downwards at the table. Theo, the younger son of Hyland, the young prince of Irela. He was a young boy with dark blue hair, similar to his father. He had jade green eyes, and a posture that seemed to contradict his royal status. Unlike the others in the room, Theo was not interested in politics or royal matters, nor did he care for the kingdoms. He was nicknamed "The fake Prince" because he acted unruly and immodest, others saw him as disrespectful and ungrateful, as he cursed his title as a Prince. The only thing that kept him from leaving his spot in the royal bloodline was his brother, who he greatly looked up to. His brother, Aran, was one of the most popular figures within the three kingdoms. He was admired by warriors, charmed all the ladies, and nobles and kings alike respected him equally. Aran inspired Theo to hold his title high and proudly, and that he was worthy of such a title.

As the meeting adjourned, the representatives of each kingdom left the temporary meeting place. Hyland, Aran and Theo were accompanied by their royal guards and assassins, and they made their way to the Irelian ship that brought them there. Suddenly, the winds began to pick up.

"Keep steady!" Hyland said, but before he knew it, dust and sand filled the air, impairing their vision of each other.

"Aran!" Theo yelled out, trying to see if he could locate his brother. "Where are you?!"

"I'm right here! Though the sand blocks our vision, we have yet to separate ourselves. Just keep still!"

Theo was relieved, and did as he was told. He waited for the sand and dust to die down. It took a while, but soon it slowly waned away. Theo eagerly looked around for his brother.

"Aran?" As soon as the sand stopped completely, Theo skipped around a bit on his search for his brother. "You said we wouldn't separate, right? I didn't move, so where are you? Where is dad?" It appears that the royal guard had kept moving during the sandstorm. Theo started to fall into despair, thinking that he had been abandoned by his brother. But that despair had crept faster and faster, until it completely enveloped him. As Theo looked downwards, he saw a horrifying sight. The dull brown stained sand on the ground, the ripped up cloth that made up his brother's shirt. The spot on the ground right above his neck that should have a head, but was left empty. His brother, Aran, lay decapitated on the floor, slowly decaying away. His head was nowhere to be seen.

"No way… What is this…" He asked himself, unable to believe what he just saw. "This has to be a decoy… This can't be real…" He slowly raised his left arm to his face, and his right towards the body as he walked towards it. The stench of dry blood and lifeless flesh, the absence of heat coming from the body. He was dead, assassinated with no tracks. Theo screamed his lungs out, crying out for his lost brother.

When he came to his senses, he wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. He had a sudden revelation now that his brother was gone. He wasn't worthy of his title. He was a coward, he ran from problems but patronized his peers, he was idle in his duties as a royal. He ran towards the boat that his father had boarded, empty handed of life. When he had arrived, he went directly to his father, ignoring the guards that tried to stop him. "Stand aside," the King spoke. "Where is your brother?"

Theo tried to hold his head high, but he kept looking slightly downwards. He closed his eyes, and began to speak. "He…" His breaths started increasing, as he found it difficult to utter words. "His head…" He opened his eyes again, looking at the floor as he suddenly began to panic. "He was… assassinated." He began to slowly kneel to the ground, raising his arms to his head to cover his face. "During the sandstorm, he was assassinated- I was right there, he told me not to move. I-I… I couldn't do anything, and his head- there were no traces of it." The guards around him started to shake in disbelief and shock, staring at the boy who was now cowering on the ground.

"Nonsense! There is no way that man could have died so-" One of the guards who spoke was cut off by the king.

"Silence!" Hyland spoke, "This is truly an awful event to hear of." He stood up from his seat and unsheathed his sword. "I may not look it, but at this moment I am filled to the brim with rage and anger. When we arrive at the kingdom, I will announce his death. Shortly after, we will wage war."

The guards were shocked again, as one of them spoke up. "Wage war?! Your majesty, don't you think this is too-"

"Of course it is too much! We must strike fear in the eyes of those who had pulled off this daring stunt! We will let them know that they must pay for their sins. I will not address who we go to war with, but the terminology will be used."

And so, the ride to the capital had continued. The painful, silent journey with the cursed knowledge of death. In a few days, Irela's royal bloodline will return short handed on life. Short handed on greatness. Theo sat by the sides of the boat, as he continuously thought about jumping off. "If Aran no longer exists, what purpose do I serve then?" He thought several times.


	5. Not up for the task

Chapter II

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**Not up for the task**

Weeks later, the people of Irela and countless others from the other two kingdoms gathered around the capital. They carried Chrysanthemums, a flower that is known in the kingdom of Irela as one that honors the dead, offering them peace equal to their greatness. They walked around the statue of his brother, dropping the flowers at his feet. There were many tears shed, and flowers piled and piled up until there was no longer room for any more. Rain fell upon the world later that day, but that didn't stop the course of Theo's fate. With the absence of the prince, Theo was to have his prophecy read at the capital's consulate, which housed the Sage of Proficiency. The Sage was not human, but was a being known as the Alfa. He possesses a very unique power that allows him to look into the future of a person whom he makes his mark on, but not just a vague reading. He can see the paths that a person can go down, and what mistakes may knock him from one path to another. As he was escorted there, he was followed by a massive crowd of people who were eager to see what would come of the reading. Entering the building, he was met by the sage who seemed to be waiting for him.

"It has been long overdue, but you have finally made your way to my domain."

"Yeah yeah, let's just get this over with." Theo said, expecting nothing to come from this. "Where do I sit?"

"Just take a seat over there, and I will put a mark on your hand." The sage said. Theo sat down, and the sage took out an enchanted brush and marked the back of his right hand with a symbol. "This is the emblem of fate, it allows me to tap into your future. Prophecies do not come true unless they are read out, so this will remain on your hand as both signs of your royal blood, and proof of your legacy. When your prophecy is read, it will change to fit your prophecy, and will become your crest. Are you ready?"

Theo began to worry, thinking how embarrassing it will be after he becomes a let down. "I'm ready."

The sage lifted his hand above Theo's, and there was a glowing siphon between the two. The emblem on his hand began to spin, and slowly take form a crest. The eyes of the sage began to light up, as the walls of the building fell and the crowd of people were revealed. There was then a massive streak of light emitting from Theo's hand, which grew as it raised in the sky. It pierced through the clouds, allowing the sun to shine down on the kingdom. The sage released his hand, and then raised his arms and began to speak.

_"O Young Theo of the Irelian blood, who stands before me shall be blessed with Divine prowess, and he shall reach limits that were unbeknownst and unachievable by men. On his great endeavor, he shall undergo a substantial change to his psyche as he proves himself and surpasses his superiors, as he follows the path to uncover the truth, he will unite a band of people alike and bless them with his presence and assistance, and when his journey comes to an end, he shall share the coldness with the one that he cherishes the most! However, shall he commit bloodshed, the decapitation of an ally with intent, his psyche and aura shall be cursed with Demonic energy, and he will be tainted with immortality as he falls into grief!"_

The people gaped in awe, there was silence after his prophecy was read. The King himself was shocked, as his son was prophesied to be above men. Theo himself was awestruck, as he stared at the sage, unable to believe what he had heard.

"If you don't believe me, take a look at your hand." Theo glanced at his hand to see that the enchanted circle had turned into a holy crest, at the center was the symbol of angels, a horn. He stood up and walked out of the building, feeling the gaze of thousands of people. He was nervous, practically dying under his skin, but he knew if he lost composure he would be a laughing stock. He swallowed his pride and walked forward, and he made his way to the castle. He looked around at the crowd, trying to put up a smile. All he could feel was pressure, but for a slight moment, he felt satisfaction. It was when he looked at a specific area in the distance, he saw a girl with long, blonde hair, wiping tears of relief from her eyes. For that moment, Theo didn't feel cowardly. But that was just for the moment, as he immediately began to feel an increasing pressure, he began to sprint to the castle. There, he was met by his father, who walked towards him, and to his surprise, knelt down and pledged to him.

"My son, you will soon lead this kingdom and pave the way to a new era, I offer you my deepest respect and gratitude." Hyland knelt before his son.

"W-Wait, stand up! There has to have been a mistake, there's no way that I…"

"Nonsense, that crest on your hand is proof!" Hyland stood up. "I shall hold a meeting again, we shall discuss matters yet again about the dungeon. With the change of plans, it appears that you are the best choice to send. I think you-" He was cut off.

"Hold on, hold on! Me?! No no no, there's no way that I can do this. I'll die!" Theo began to revert back to the coward he was, his prophecy meant nothing to him. He never wanted his way of life to change.

The King looked at him smiling, and closed his eyes. "You do not have a say in this."

"Eh?" The royal guards picked up Theo by his arms, restraining him from movement, and escorted him back onto the boat. "Aren't I supposed to be destined for greatness- no, divinity..? Then…" Theo suddenly began fighting back, but the guards were successfully able to hold him back, for here was too weak. "What the hell is going on?!"


	6. United by the Blade

Chapter III

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**United by the Blade**

Once again, the three great kingdoms had met. However, it was not much of a meeting. For Theo, it felt like judgement, as if they were deciding his punishment. He stood at the front of the gathering, as he felt the gazes of great leaders alike. He tried to look as mature and content as possible, but it was clear to see his body was tensed up, and the sweat coming from his forehead was obvious.

"I'm going to die… I'm actually going to die right here…" He cried to himself.

"You know, your brother was a great man," Darus, the duke of Ingram spoke. "It was an honor knowing him in life, and his battle tactics for dealing with the dungeon were truly genius. Do you think you can follow him up?"

Theo stopped tensing up for a while. Instead, he spoke honestly. "If I'm going to be real with you, this prophecy means little to nothing to me. I may be destined for a greater destiny than him, but he was a greater man than me. I don't know how I can-"

"That's enough." Darus interrupted. "The first step to greatness. Even if you doubt yourself, even if you think you're nothing but rubbish. You swallow it in you, and put up that front of greatness. How do you think your brother truly felt? Did you think he was confident in himself? Bite down on that self-loathing and keep it to yourself. Not all men are prideful." He walked to Theo and handed him a broad steel sword. "Come outside, let me test your resolve with your handwork."

_There's no way this is happening…_ He looked at his hand, loosely gripping onto the handle of the sword. It was heavy, it felt like he was holding it awkwardly. He kept glancing between the handle, the hilt and the blade, but never the tip of the sword. Despite all the worrying and hesitation, the feeling of the sword did not feel unnatural. What felt unnatural, however, was the difference in skill: Theo, who had little to no combat experience and only a basic rundown on sword fighting, and Darus, a man who lived by the sword, an honoring man who would defend his queen with his life. A devout swordsman who could rip apart armies. It was obvious who the victor would be. _I'm a dead man_, he thought to himself.

The two of them walked outside first, the rest of the viewers followed and gathered around, as they have never witnessed Theo in battle before. Darus got into a fighting stance, the sight of him getting ready to battle forced Theo into a stance of his own. The sheer aura of Darus' fighting charisma was controlling him. Theo believed that he could use this opportunity to lose on purpose, and save himself from venturing into the dungeon.

"Liquet Apertio" Darus chanted, before charging at Theo. Darus could sense that Theo had an affinity for wind, so he chanted a skill that enhances his vision. He expected Theo to use wind to quickly move around, so Darus was prepared for that. However, what he wasn't prepared for had occurred. Theo had not moved from where he was, and to top it off, he did not chant a single word. Instead, he held his sword up, remaining in his fighting stance. At first glance, it would look like Theo was bold and waiting for the first move. However, to someone like Darus who has multiple experiences in combat, Theo was nothing short of a shivering coward that has no clue what to do next. In a swift, single movement, Darus slashed the sword out of Theo's hands. Theo flinched backwards, and looked at his bare hands, utterly terrified.

"I'm… not cut out for this."

"Sure, you aren't now… but you can't ignore destiny." Darus said, reaching his hand out to him. "We don't start with glory, we earn it." Theo was still unable to move, however he looked at his hand. Darus reached over and grabbed his hand, shaking it and smiling at him. "I look forward to seeing what kind of person you become. But if you were thinking you could bail on the expedition, our duel only settled one thing: whether or not you go with guards or not."

"W-Wait, what?"

"Alright, you may send him off now. I had already picked out his guards, I'm sure he would not complain when he sees them."

"Complain- Of COURSE I would complain! You can't just send me out somewhere with people to protect me, I'll somehow find a way to get killed!"

"I won't let that happen…" A faint voice suddenly appeared, as footsteps approached Theo. It was a calm voice, a female voice. A familiar one. Theo turned and saw a hooded person approach him, along with two bulky soldiers and a swordsman. The three behind the hooded person seemed to belong to the kingdom of Scyte, however the one who stood before him wore a cloak with the Irelian emblem. An elite emblem, at that. The person stopped before Theo, and raised their hand to their head. With a single movement of a hand, beautiful, golden hair was freed into the air. Not so long but pointy ears that belong to a half-elf pried through her hair, as she brushed it aside. She opened her eyes, an alluring violet color. She smiled, bowed, and spoke.

"I, Victoria of the Royal Assassins, shall protect you with my life."

"T-Tori… is that you?" Theo said, imagining a girl he had known in his childhood. The half-elf girl stood there smiling, and tilted her head before closing her eyes.

"The one and only. So, what do you think? I finally made it to the royal assassins." She said happily.

"So your dream came true… I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"It's fine, you don't have to dwell on the past." She walked over to the sword that flew when Theo was disarmed. She picked it up and handed it to him. "I believe this belongs to you. You're going to need something to protect yourself at least."

"I can hardly use this thing."

"It can't be that hard, just swing it like a madman when you see something dangerous!" She imitated the action of swinging a sword. They both laughed.

"Easier said than done. Actually, hold on, where did everyone go?!"

"They all left a while ago, you were busy staring at us for some time. You know, we didn't just magically appear here, it took us a while to even walk here. Jeez, you're still so oblivious to your surroundings!" She sighed, but then chuckled afterwards.

"Yeah, I guess so." The two of them were then interrupted.

"I don't mean to intrude anything, but we have a ship to attend, and a dungeon to plunder." Said one of the soldiers.

"So I'm actually going, huh…"

"Don't worry, little man, nothing can reach you before us." Said the other guard. They all headed and boarded the ship. Theo was still nervous, and was shaking every now and then on the way, but he was relieved. He was reassured, rather. He felt safe knowing that Tori was there to protect him. However, she was clearly not the strongest out of the four. Theo looked over at the swordsman who had sat down by the edge of the ship. He wasn't armored up so well, but his sword looked different than an average sword. In fact, Theo had never seen such a blade before. It looked as if it was glowing, and the shape was irregular. The swordsman met eyes with Theo, glaring back at him.

"Eeeh! S-Sorry for staring, I was just… curious"

"This is the divine child? Really? This kingdom is doomed."

"H-Hey, you think I give a damn about this stupid prophecy? It came out of nowhere, and here I am, forced to go to my impending doom!"

"You know, you looked at me as if you were staring at some kind of other worldly being. Do you even know what you're looking at?"

"Yeah, I'm looking at some arrogant punk who thinks he's all tough because he has some glowy sword!" Theo's voice started to raise, but he began to quiet down when the swordsman stood up and began walking towards him.

"Arrogant? Some 'glowy sword'?" He unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards Theo. "You got some nerve, I'll have you know I'm an elite adventurer, I've plundered dangerous dungeons and have been sent on royal expeditions. You oughta show me some respect, you damn brat!"

"Stop that! Fighting won't do anything!" Tori said, trying to break the two apart.

"Yeah, fighting won't prove a damn thing. You already know how I can't do that, yet this piece of shit thinks he can prove a point by directing that obviously advantageous weapon at me?" Theo looked up at the man, and began to smug maliciously. "How lame. What a loser move."

"Eh?! And you think that's something that ain't lame? Not knowing how shit works around here when you're s'posed to be some kind of Messiah? Get outta here!"

"Oh really? Is that sass I am sensing? Well if you're so damn skilled, then why don't you tell me a thing or two- hell, just tell me everything I need to know!"

"Fine! I will then, if it shuts your damn mouth!" The man sheathed his sword back and sat next to Theo. _No way, was it really this easy to calm this guy down? Really? This "elite adventurer" was tamed by just words? I guess my real divine power doesn't really need a sword!_


	7. Entrance

Chapter IV

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**Entrance**

"First off, what do you even know?" Asked the swordsman.

"I'll tell you what I don't know, I don't know your name, so let's start with that."

The swordsman flinched up and started getting angry, "You wanna go again, brat?! Of course some amateur like you who knows absolutely NOTHING wouldn't know the name Jax, one of the FEW elite adventurers in the country!"

Theo looked at him blankly. "I've never heard the term elite adventurer before."

"You idiot, once you get your gold badge, you are considered an elite!" Jax motioned at the golden badge on his chest, accompanied by a silver and bronze." The only badges ahead are the Platinum and Challenger's badge, but those are only for those with high and mighty titles."

Theo's blank stare became a pitiful one. "So basically you call yourself elite to make yourself feel better."

"Alright, let's get started with the basis of power!"

_Wow, instantly changing the topic_, Theo thought. "I think I know the basis of power. You fight with weapons and some people have stro-" He was immediately cut off.

"ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME RIGHT NOW?! ARE YOU THIS NAÏVE?!" Jax sat down, and looked at Theo. "If you're seriously some sort of prophetic figure, you should at least know how this damn world works. Weapons? Seriously? There are some crazy people who can take down armies empty handed."

"Woah, seriously?"

"Yeah, and it's thanks to their psyche. Psyche determines the strength of a person's power, or rather their affinity for it. For us humans, power comes in four forms, or elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. We are all born with Psyche readings, we are told our strongest affinity and our affinity for the rest of the elements. For me, I have a good affinity in fire," He lifted up his sword, as it started to glow again. "Right now, I'm channeling heat through my sword, which makes it glow. It makes it more durable and more powerful on strike. Now, our lady here who is half elf has a different skill set. Not only does she have ability to our human elements, but her elf bloodline allows her to have more affinities: Nature, Ferality, Legion, and Sense. Now, I have no idea about other races and all, but since you're human, that information wouldn't matter. Got that down?"

Theo thought hard for a second and remembered his psyche reading. "So how do I even use my psyche? Does it just happen?"

"Wait, you've never received… training?"

"I couldn't care less about training." Theo said, looking up with a dumb face.

"This damn brat…" He got up and signaled Theo to stand. "Here, we'll start with something basic. You royals usually have a strong wind affinity, so why don't you try with just summoning a pulse of wind? Just an easy chant, know any?"

Theo thought hard if he had known any of this, and he remembered some chants that he watched his brother practice when they were younger. He breathed in, faced the ocean and raised his hand, and he chanted: "Ventus!" In front of him, a powerful wind vortex fired from the palm of his hand into the ocean, blasting the water into the air and creating a strong wave. Everyone on the boat shook a little, but Theo looked at his hand and smiled. "This whole time, I could do this..? Why didn't I beat up that old man Darus!"

"Did you just say Darus? The Darus?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

Jax looked at him and turned away, with an angry face. "Some dumb brat likes you gets to meet a famous man like him? This world is unfair!"

"Yeah, really? Why don't you just die and hope you get reborn into royalty!" Theo said, sarcastically.

"You pickin' a fight again?!" The two clashed heads and were at each others necks again, staring daggers into each other's eyes.

"Guys, please…" Tori tried to stop them, once again unable to.

Suddenly, a yell could be heard from the top deck. "Land ho!" The boat was nearing the ruined lands, as each person went to the side of the deck to view. As the boat docked, they all walked down the steps uniformly, and Theo guided them towards the hidden warp pad created by Athalia. This took them to the camp in the ruined lands, where the representatives first met in secret. Theo looked around, his eyes widening as he remembers this place. The two guards and Jax gave him some space, but Tori stayed by his side.

"Hey, Tori… this is where he died. Aran, my brother."

"I know. It hurts me as well, but it hurts me more seeing you anguished like this…"

Theo paused, leaving Tori to think that she said something she shouldn't have. In a fit of nervousness, Tori tried to utter words again, but Theo broke the silence first in a fretful inquiry.

"Wait a second… where is the body…"

Tori was confused, and him what he meant. Jax, however, stormed up to Theo and asked him aggressively. "What do you mean body? It's been months, isn't the body locked away in the tomb?"

"No, the body was never discovered. Nobody dared come back here, for it was a secret. The body, it should still be here… The only one who saw it was me, his head… removed from his body, it was on the floor. I didn't dare touch it, so…"

"Theo, do you know what this means?" Jax looked at him seriously, and Theo looked back, confused. "Somebody was still present when you discovered the body. The body was retrieved, and there are really dangerous things that could happen. The Demon race has the power to resurrect bodies, you know. What if an Alfa got him? We need to report this immediately."

Theo's mind went blank again, the fear of what could be happening surged through his head and never ended. However, he remembered what Darus said, he took all of his fears and insecurities and hid them, and instead he tried to act like a leader for once. "We can report this when somebody of the authority appears, but we have to get to the dungeon first. The warp pad leading there isn't that far ahead, come on."

"Theo…" Tori said, reaching out her hand. She could sense that he was hiding something, since this wasn't the usual person that she knew. However, it seemed like everybody abided, and she was being left behind. She quickly followed up ahead as they warped to the dungeon's entrance. To their surprise, it was massively populated by many adventurers and mercenaries alike. Jax looked back to Theo and smirked, pointing at the entrance.

"Us adventurers have been at work in the last few months, we've already wiped the first floor. Piece of cake, honestly, it was weaker than your average dungeon. We've already registered, so you're coming with us as a guest, you can go get yourself a bronze badge next time rookie. Now then, let's go kick some ass!" Jax lead the way into the entrance, the first floor completely transformed into an adventurers tavern. There were tables and servers, places to collect money from beasts, and an armory. As they walked down the massive hallways, Theo gazed all over the place.

"This place is absolutely massive… and this is only one floor?"

"Mhm, just one floor. Honestly amazing how huge this place is, what's more amazing is how quick we transformed it. Now hurry up, we gotta get through this hallway. If you think this is something, you'll surely get a kick outta seeing what's down in the second floor!" Jax cheerfully smiled as he began to skip down the hall.

_He's like a little kid_. Theo cleared his thoughts and ironically began to skip himself, Tori skipping right behind. The guards began to speed walk, skipping wasn't really possible in their heavy armor. After a few minutes, they finally reached a massive opened door leading to a set of stairs. Jax looked back and informed Theo, "Down here is where floor 2 starts. Stairs are pretty convenient, huh?" He then lead the way down the stairs normally, everyone following him.

As the four walked down the stairs, it started to get darker. This darkness, however, soon reverted back into light. A different light, not one of torches indoors, the light felt natural. It kept getting brighter and brighter, until eventually they made their way at the bottom of the stairs. Theo and Tori looked in amazement, the sheer size of the floor was magnitudes above the first floor, especially vertically. The ground was all natural grass, there was wildlife everywhere. Trees and flowers, fairies flying about, and there seemed to be a natural source of light all the way at the top, coming from crystals that were created by the scorching sun over millions of years. There was a mountain that had water streaming down, which poured all the way into the plains in a waterfall, and then a river. There seemed to be fish in the river, as well as weak beasts. It felt as if they stepped into an entirely new world, it was crazy to believe that this place is a floor in a dungeon. Jax looked back at them, still looking around in awe with a big smirk on his face.

"Welcome to the world of the adventurer. You know, this place is so tranquil, some people built small houses to live their lives here. It's honestly beautiful, this place is more beautiful and green than that dusty sand-filled hell above ground. This is what paradise looks like. And the monsters are actually somewhat difficult this time, so have at it." He said, as he laid out his hand towards the feral animals in the plains. "Why don't you learn a thing or two about combat from fighting these guys, they ain't strong enough to kill you!"

Theo gripped his sword, eager to put his new wind knowledge to the test. He thought to himself, _this is so unlike me. Why am I caring about things right now? Is it because… I'm having fun? Well, who cares, It's time to show this runt how strong I am!_ Theo dashed into the plains, jumping over the river and entering a battle stance. He cast his arm out and opened his palm, wind began to form around him. He chanted powerfully, more so than on the boat, "Ventus!" However, a much weaker gust of wind was launched forwards, and all it did was move the bulls a few feet, angering them. "W-What the hell..?! Why is it so much weaker?!"

Jax laughed at him as the bulls began to charge. "You're actually an idiot! We're inside a dungeon, you think the wind is strong here? If you're gonna chant a spell like that, might as well channel the wind to yourself so you can actually do something!" He burst out in laughter.

As the bull charged at Theo, he gripped his sword and gulped, once again he was nervous and felt like he was about to die. Before the bulls could get to him, they were shot and immobilized with bolts that came from behind Theo. It was Tori, from his wrist was a hidden crossbow that she could fire at any moment undetected.

"T-Thanks, Tori… you saved me again."

"Again?" She questioned, "I thought this was the first time."

Theo's face started to light red as he turned around, "N-Nevermind! I was mistaken, thanks for saving me." He walked up to the dead bulls and raised his sword, slicing them in half as if it were him who landed the first blow.

Jax leaned towards Tori and lifted his hand to his chin, grinning. "So you two have that kind of relationship, eh?"

Tori jumped backwards, blushing slightly. "W-What do you mean? We're just friends from childhood, I probably forgot some other time I saved him…"

Ignoring her, Jax was already walking across the bridge that Theo ignored, lifting his sword. The guards followed him. "Well, since you're pretty strong, why don't you come and help us clear this place out. Y'know, these feral beasts aren't the real monsters we're clearing out, it gets difficult further in. After all…" There was a pause, Jax stopped walking as the guards went ahead of him. He looked back at her, who was catching up, and looked forwards again.

"We've been stuck here for the last 4 months."


	8. The Dilemma of Floor 2

Chapter V

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**The Dilemma of Floor 2**

Tori paused. After hearing that they had been stuck on this floor for months, it confused her at first. How could such a naturally beautiful and seemingly easy place take months to clear? At first, she thought that it was the vast size of the floor that made it difficult. She eventually caught up with Jax and the guards, following Theo who seemed to be taking the initiative. There weren't many beasts in the way, and there was a path that leads deeper into the floor that seemed endless. As they walked, monsters started to appear. A large dire wolf was ahead, and Theo was quick to stop.

"Up ahead, Jax get over here! There's a huge wolf, let's go get his head!"

"Eh?! Why the hell should I do anythin', ya damn brat?! You're supposed to be some divine kid, why don't ya use those powers of yours properly?!" Jax complained, busy indulging in doing nothing. "That thing ain't even that strong!"

As the wolf began to approach, Theo started to shake while holding his sword up. "W-Who cares about some title?! I'm a complete amateur! I can't kill any of these things yet!"

Jax started to get annoyed by the back-and-forth and yelled at him, "How about instead of sayin' you're a weakling, how bout you actually try?!"

Theo was preparing to slash his sword, lifting it up high. As the wolf lunged at him, Theo sliced his sword down quickly, using the wind to slash it downwards quicker. As he opened his eyes, he looked at the fatally injured wolf on the ground, a large cut across its neck. "Did… did I do that?"

"Wow, congratulations, you're not a pussy anymore! Now if you did that more often, maybe I don't have to INSTRUCT and MOTIVATE you like some baby learning how to walk!" Jax said sarcastically, passing Theo by giving him a pat on the back.

"Hey, wh- What do you mean instruct and motivate?! All you do is aggressively taunt me! I did that myself!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever, just hurry up!"

Theo noticed he was being left behind, he quickly sheathed his sword and ran up to them. He noticed someone absent, "Where is Tori?"

"Her? Well as an assassin, she has to travel stealthily. Look around ya, she's probably in the trees following us. See, now if you do get in trouble, at least she has your back- you know I don't!" He laughed and walked side by side with the guards. Theo didn't talk back since there was nothing to argue, he followed them silently. The deeper they traveled the path, the more disoriented and decaying it was. The grass slowly became dirt, the stones more cracked, and the amount of leaves on the trees began to decrease quickly. Jax and the soldiers stopped walking, pausing in front of a misty area. "This is it, here's where the real challenge is. You can probably use that chant of yours now, the air here is pretty damn good for that." The tone of voice in Jax's speech changed, as if there was something he was afraid of there. "Well, you wanna back out now?"

"Like hell I will, don't piss your pants on the way in." Theo said, passing them both as he unsheathed his sword. He was slowly learning how to use his affinity for wind, as he channelled the force of exertion onto his left hand, as if he were charging up his attack when he chants. The three followed him into the mist, but they quickly lost each other, as the fog was too thick to see through. Theo looked around, and remembered the sand blocking his view six months ago when his brother was assassinated. Anxiety and paranoia began to overcome him, as he walked further in, his posture getting more and more improper. Before Theo could descend into madness, he heard a yell through the fog.

"Hey kid! If you hear this, I want you to chant; a gust of wind, a powerful one. Clear this area so we can see, why didn't you do that in the first place?!" Jax yelled, he didn't seem that far away.

"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?! Don't blame this on me!" He yelled back, raising his hand towards the sky. He focused on his hand alone and tensed up his arm, before opening his palm and yelling out his chant: "Ventus!" A massive gust of wind, no, it was a vortex at that magnitude, launched from the palm of his hand and pierced the sky. The fog around it was sucked in and powered the vortex more, before it eventually dissipated thousands of feet in the air and vanished. Theo fell to the ground and looked around him, Jax standing with the two guards a few feet to the left, and Tori running towards him.

"Theo! Are you okay, did you expend too much energy?" worried Tori as she kneeled down to him, checking to see if his body is weak.

"I'm fine, that blast of wind just knocked me to the ground is all…" He motioned her to step back as he got up, looking at Jax who was also staring at him. "Now that we can see, why don't we-"

"Kid, look out!"

Theo and Tori quickly turned around, Tori revealing her crossbow, ready to shoot. In front of them was a huge boulder that was hurtling towards them, Tori quickly grabbed Theo and pulled him away, dodging the boulder as it slammed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that knocked everybody off their feet.

"What the hell was that?! Where did it come from?!" Theo yelled, terrified at what just happened.

"This is the problem! Look around you, idiot, the terrain is so warped that it feels like nature itself is out to kill us! This is why we can't make it out!" Theo followed his instructions as he looked around, noticing all the vast differences. Trees were ripped up, some branches extended as far as to pierce the ground. There were craters and random rocks everywhere, and the mountains seemed to have holes in them where rocks should have been. There was no telling where the boulder came from, but this wasn't the end of it. Stone spikes started to slowly grow out of the ground, and Jax quickly got up and broke into a sprint, yelling "Get outta there, we need to find a safer place!"

Theo struggled to get up at first, but he eventually began to run as well, leaving his sword that was knocked out of his hands behind. He could feel the ground shake as the spikes shoot out faster than before, as they all ran deeper into the floor. As they ran, the spikes began to subside, but the terrain began to change even more. The amount of trees began to decrease, and the floor became more mountainous and rocky. Theo used the wind to speed himself up, easily keeping pace with Jax, and he asked him a question. "Are these the many sectors of the floor? How much more until we get to the third floor?!"

"Kid, ain't nobody get to the last sector alive! You better hone your skills, because our REAL reason for coming down here was to clear the monster blocking the entrance to the third floor!" Jax said, looking at him as he began to run faster. "Well, in all honesty, it's Tori that we're gonna need, but you'll be useful support!"

"Oh, that's great, at least my life won't be a stake! AS IF! What do you mean monster?! Shouldn't I receive more training before this?! Also, what if Tori can't take out this monster you're talking about, what'll happen to her?!"

"I'll be fine." A voice on Theo's right spoke out, more calm than the other two. She was the fastest out of all of them, and it was clear she was potentially the strongest out of all of them, being half elf. "I already knew about the mission, I'm sorry Theo. But it appears that I'm the only person with the skills to do it… after all, I can directly counter it."

They all slowed down and stopped, regaining energy. "Seems like it's more peaceful here, don't ya think? Let's talk for a bit." issued Jax.

"Why… why hide this from me?"

"Listen, brat, if you were told you had to fight some crazy monster, would you do it?"

Theo stood there in silence and shame. "You wouldn't, right? So that's why we waited, but now you definitely ain't going back, not through that mess that we just ran from. So that's why."

Theo sat down and grunted. "Alright, whatever, I don't care about that anymore. Tell me about this monster so I can at least be useful. I could care less if you get some scratches and a few fatal blows, but I want to protect the people who show actual respect, unlike you."

"What'd ya say, you damn brat?! I'll have you know I'm the leader here!"

"Leader? I thought that was Tori, or perhaps you're trying to steal the spotlight again?"

"Enough!" Tori yelled out for the first time. "You two fighting won't get us anywhere, and Theo, if you want to keep me safe, if we don't get things straightened out, I'll be in more danger. So please, can we just move on with things?"

"She's right." one of the guards spoke out.

Jax scratched his head before sitting down with Theo. "Tch, I was getting to it. Anyways, listen here kid. This monster is supposedly the one that controls this floor. Nobody's ever seen him, but reports from those who somehow survived fighting him gave us valuable information. We ain't sure if he's an Alfa or not, but he has a powerful control over the terrain and nature, as you saw with that boulder that almost killed ya. Tori's speed, range, and ability to manipulate living things is gonna help us defeat it, and your… wind should be able to keep things from killin' us, you know, incoming rocks and shit. You can do that at least, right?"

Theo ignored the insult and nodded his head.

"Now, this monster can't touch the first sector of this floor, which is why it looks so peaceful. We just ran through the second and third sector, and he resides in the last sector, the fifth one. His power isn't strong enough to reach the first, so we know he ain't strong enough to just off us one by one in an instant. We're gonna do this strategically. My job is to land hits on the monster, these two soldiers are my support. You gotta support Tori, get the beast's attention and divert it from us, also make sure there ain't anything sneaking up on us. Sound good? Tori and I will be dealin' the most damage, and some day…" Jax raised his arm and rested it on Theo's shoulder. "...when you learn things from a proper teacher, you'll be the one to take down these beasts. Hell, you'll be able to take 'em down with ease, you'll go further than anybody. Now whadd'ya say we go kick some ass?"

Theo was almost moved to tears, something so serious coming from this jackass caught him off guard. He raised his arm to wipe his face, both from dirt and tears. "Damn you… don't go saying stuff like that, or I'll actually care about what happens to you."

Jax laughed as he stood up and picked up his sword, "Haha, that's the spirit! I knew you weren't such a stubborn little brat down there, I was just playin' ya for a bit. But don't get cocky, I know about that prophecy of yours. You really wanna become one of humanity's biggest threats?"

Theo began to stand as he looked up and shook his head, then he reached for his sword, realizing that he was empty handed. "Shit…"

"No problem, lad. I always keep a spare." Jax reached to his back and unsheathed another sword, one definitely more sturdy and powerful than the one he had before. He tossed it to Theo. "An upgrade ain't sound to bad, don't it? Now, y'know what you did earlier, focusing on your hand to generate a more powerful blast? Try doing that to the sword."

Theo looked at him, and then the blade. He closed his eyes and focused, first the handle, then the hilt and all the way to the edge of the blade. He breathed in and focused on his blood pumping to his limbs, and focusing the momentum of every force in his body onto the sword. When he opened his eyes, he was amazed to see what he had done. He looked at the blade of his sword, noticing that it had begun to glow. "Amazing… just like your sword… but why does it glow? Don't I neat to heat it up?"

Jax looked at him in confusion then lifted his arm to the back of his head. "Actually, that was sort of a lie… I kinda wanted to sound cool. Truth is, the material these things are made outta is Runite, they glow when the wielder exerts power onto it, which makes it stronger. Pretty useful, right? Now you should be able to use your sword as a tool for making your blasts stronger."

Theo smiled, holding the sword up and looking at it. At the sight of his reflection, his smile turned into a frown. _Should I really be doing this? Why would I start doing something important now of all times, especially with my awful history in consideration… why is nobody pointing that out? Why do these people put so much trust into me? Well… that doesn't matter now, I'm only going to fulfill this prophecy for one reason… I won't let you down, Aran._

"Well, I think we're all energized and ready. The fourth sector is rather tame despite being right next to the monster, but the moment we enter the fifth sector, you're in for hell. Let's go!" Jax yelled as he began to walk towards the bridge, which hovered above a raging river that has the potential to kill someone if they fall in. As the group followed slowly, the terrain began to show obvious signs of change. There were trees again, but they were all petrified to the roots. There were random spikes of rock and random shapes in the mountains, and the ground had lots of sediments of not just rock, but the remnants of broken weapons that had been left smothered on the ground.

"This place… it looks awful." Tori said, looking around with her mouth covered, her eyes trembling at the sight: the place of death for thousands of people. They were walking above a graveyard of no bodies. "Don't worry lady, just ahead that bridge is our destination. The moment we step in, the bridge will most likely collapse and there will be an earthquake. Nobody has ventured far enough to actually see what the monster looks like, but with our skill set, it should be a piece of cake- the hard part is taking it down. Now then, what are we waitin' for!" Jax yelled out, leading the charge over the bridge. Theo thought to himself, the moment they step off the bridge is the rush. Speed is key, and he was thinking: with his affinity of wind, perhaps he should be the one to land hits?

As they ran across the bridge, the ground began to shake as the bridge collapsed and was sent down the river. Vines immediately began to grow out of the ground, making it impossible to stand still without being caught. The five of them split up, Tori quickly moving away with Theo following behind, Jax leading a front charge with the two soldiers. It was now or never. Tori's main goal was to see what kind of monster would take the lives of so many, so she quickly made her way to the source of the power. She could easily dodge everything at her way, and Theo was learning to use his affinity of wind to make himself more agile and fast. Up ahead was a thick layer of mist, there was no doubt that the monster was concealing itself under it.

"Theo, your wind! Blast the mist!"

"No need to tell me twice!" Theo jumped into the air and slashed his blade diagonally, chanting "Ventus!" as a huge streak of wind cut through the mist, blowing it away and even going as far as to land a hit on the monster.

"Wait, did I just land the first hit?!"

Theo was expecting an answer, but Tori remained silent. In fact, Tori was at the edge of the cliff where the mist begun, looking down at the monster.

"Tori..?"

"This can't be right… my eyes must be deceiving me." She said, rubbing her eyes and pinching her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Theo walked up to catch up to her, looking down at the monster as well. As he gazed, his eyes widened in a staggering matter. He was so shocked he almost fell backwards. "No way…"

Tori pointed at the monster and looked at Theo.

"Theo… that's not a monster…"

Theo looked up at Tori, her face troubled and concerned, as if she was yearning for an answer to disprove what she was looking at.

"That's a human… isn't it?"


	9. Danger

Chapter VI

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**Danger**

Theo looked up at Tori, her expression was distraught and broken. It seemed like she was expecting to see a large monster, one that was oozing with evil. To think the death of thousands of people was caused by a human, that thought must be agonizing her. However, this was no time to idle. Theo quickly grabbed onto her arm and ran down, the vines beginning to catch up to them.

"Tori, snap out of it! I'm as confused as you are… I don't understand why… why there is a human down there, but that's no reason to get ourselves killed!" Theo quickly dashed down the cliff, learning more about how he can use the wind as he carried Tori along with him. "You're supposed to be the one faster than me, open your eyes, Tori!"

"I can't! I can't do it, I can't harm another human!" Theo glanced down at the person who was the center of all the attacks. He looked exactly like a human. His short brown hair, a little above average height. It looked like a man in his mid-twenties, and his attire was that of a mage. Everything about his physical appearance was human, but his face… was the most human. Theo took a long look at the face of a distraught man, a face that lacked emotion but was screaming in agony at the same time. A dead face.

"Tori, that's… that can't be a human… surely it's just a front-"

"No! No matter how you look at him, that's a human! Not just their physical appearance, that expression on his face… it's not the face of a killer, he is clearly in anguish over all the lives he had taken. I can't hurt somebody like that-"

"What are you talking about..?!" Theo began to lash out, his cowardly side showing along with his unkempt anger that resides with his fear of dying.

Tori began to back up away from Theo. "It's… I-I just…" her posture started to change as she glanced back at the man, then at Theo. "I made a pro-"

"Promise?! That doesn't matter now! Do you want us all to die?!" Theo yelled as he slashed away at the vines, grabbing onto Tori's arm. "If you think all of our lives are less valuable than some oath you swore to my dad, then why did you come here?!" Theo pulled Tori in, staring her in the eye. His face was scary, and he stared daggers.

Tori forced his grip off, letting herself go. She backed up and looked back at him, before the silence was broken.

"HEY! WHERE IS OUR SUPPORT?!" Jax's voice could be heard from afar, "THE ROCKS ARE SLINGIN' AT US! THEY HURT LIKE HELL!"

Theo turned towards the man, and Jax who was nearby. He grunted, gripped his sword and jumped off the cliff, relying on the wind to soften his fall. "Shit, I completely forgot about those three… Tori, hurry up!"

Tori looked down at the man once again at the bottom of the cliff. He was standing still, not moving a single inch. She closed her eyes and jumped down the cliff as well, knowing that she will land safely even without the wind.

As Theo landed, he quickly dashed towards Jax, who was hiding behind a tree to protect himself from the rock projectiles.

"Ventus!" Theo chanted, as he slashed his sword forwards, diverting all the projectiles that headed towards Jax. Theo caught up with him and rested behind another tree.

"You damn idiot, what're ya doin here?! Your job is to guard Tori!"

"Why the hell'd you call me then?!"

Jax smacked him on the head. "I didn't call 'ya, dumbass! I just called for support, you can shoot your air-balls from afar!"

Theo lied back on the tree, looking up. "Hey.. you really think Tori can handle killing that thing?"

"'Course she can, have you seen her hit list? She's taken out an Alfa before!"

"Jax… it's not a monster, it's a human behind this."

"A huma- what?! Is it a traitor?!"

Theo shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think so, but I don't know. He isn't moving, but I think that him standing still has something to do with all the things happening around us; the stones, the vines, spikes, everything."

Jax sighed as he looked ahead, realizing they were blocked by another thick layer of mist. "Kid, among all the insane things that I've witnessed since I met you, this has gotta be the craziest. This entire time, we've been losin' lives to our own kind, huh..."

"We're… we're gonna live, right?" Theo asked. Jax could feel his stare, both one of terror and one of obsession. As Jax looked down to meet eyes with Theo, he could see the true fear in his eyes, Theo's real colors were showing.

"Hey, kid… you a'ight? You're not looking so good-"

"Alright?! Am I alright?! What were we THINKING?! I have no combat experience, you're not even that strong, hell I don't even know the names of those two guards! And Tori doesn't want to harm that monster of a man, what the hell were we thinking?! We're… we're dead! That's what we are, so much for divine child, they might as well call me premature death child, 'cause that's what I'm about to become!-"

"Hey, brat, are 'ya done having a fucking seizure? Also who the hell are you callin' "not strong," I'll have you know I may not be the strongest but I can fare well! And we ain't dead yet, we ain't dead until we give up our lives, so you better pick up that sword and fight til' we are! As for Tori…" Jax looked around him, noticing that none of the vines are stemming up and that the two other guards were safely hiding as well.

"Hey, Tori!" Jax yelled out to the treetops. "I know you hear me, whose life do 'ya value more, some random guy or your beloved Theo?!"

Theo became flustered as he dropped his sword and ran to smack Jax on the forehead. "W-W-What the hell are you saying?!"

"Hey, if she didn't wanna kill it, she sure does now!" He laughed as he pointed up. Theo looked up as well, as he saw Tori on the treetops looking down at him. As their eyes met, they both looked away blushing. Jax looked at them both and chuckled one last time.

"Damn, you and your youth. What're we waiting for?! Theo, clear that huge chunk of mist over there for us!"

"I knew that already!" Theo said, as he picked up his sword and moved out of hiding, towards the mist. _Don't need to tell me again_, he thought to himself as he raised his arm towards the wind. _I wonder… perhaps I don't need to chant out loud, but… V… Ventus!_ Theo closed his eyes and focused, thinking hard as a massive vortex of wind sliced through the mist, revealing the person behind everything. He looked like a normal person, but his expression seemed as if he was decaying, his eyes were drooping downwards and everything about his face spelled out misery. However, there was something odd about him, it seemed like he couldn't move.

_That's it…_ Theo thought about why he was in the ground, and came to a conclusion. "Jax, everyone, can you hear me?" Theo yelled out. Everyone else yelled back to confirm, and Tori quickly revealed herself nearby to affirm.

"That guy over there, you see him? He's wedged into the ground, right? If he has control over this floor, then maybe that connection is the path that allows him to control? Maybe if we could launch him in the air or push him, we could sever the tie between the floor and him."

"Look at you, actually saying something useful. Maybe you're not so much of an idiot after all!" Jax joked as he stopped charging, returning to Theo to hear out his plan.

"I'm no idiot, I attended the greatest schooling in the kingdom! Anyways, in order to accomplish this we need you, Tori. You need to make sure he doesn't intercept anything, and Jax, you and the guards have to get ready to strike. I'm going to channel all my remaining energy in one attack, a powerful wind strike that should knock him off his feet. I'll probably be immobilized for a few minutes, but that's fine, the moment you guys take him out, then the attacks should stop. Got it?" Theo began to charge his attack, raising his sword in the air and using the mist around him to gather at the blade, increasing the power.

Everyone nodded, Tori quickly hid herself and waited to user her power. She smiled, knowing happily that Theo was back to his usual kind self. As boulders began to appear in the sky and strike downwards at Jax and the guards who began to run closer to the monster, she sprung to action. Boulder after boulder, she jumped on each of them as they fell, changing their direction just slightly enough so they wouldn't make contact. She used her human affinity of earth to change the density of the speeding boulders, and continued to do so. Jax and the guards got into position, the first guard on the left of the man, the second on the right, Jax right behind. It was all up to Theo.

After charging his sword for a few moments, it was gleaming with a blinding light, and he began to raise it higher, preparing for the strike. Instead of slashing it, he pulled it down and backwards, preparing to lunge it forward. With a single powerful thrust, Theo chanted "Ventus!" loudly, and the force of the wind vortex was so powerful that it made the ground shake. It ripped trees out of their roots and sent ricks flying into the air. Most importantly, it knocked the monster out of his spot, and his theory seemed to be correct. There were vines connected to his feet that seemed to channel energy to and from the floor, and they were severed by the two guards that immediately attacked after he was knocked over.

Theo collapsed to the ground, too weak to stand up. Before Tori could rush over to him, he yelled out. "Don't come to me! Attack him! We've been waiting for this opening, It's now or never!"

Jax jumped into the air, thinking that he could get the final strike in. In a split second, a boulder came flying through the air and crashed into him, sending him flying into a tree.

"Jax!" One of the guards yelled, before they started getting picked off one by one. Pillars of stone emerging from the ground tossed them into the air, leaving them injured as the fell.

"Why… why is everything still moving, the roots were cut off, right?! So why?!" Theo looked in terror at the horrific scene. "Tori, hurry, help them!"

She nodded and quickly vanished, appearing before Jax to tend to his wounds. His body was weakened and it seemed some of his bones were crushed, but there wasn't any severe bleeding. She used her healing magic on him and did the same as she appeared for the other two soldiers. Amidst all that, the mayhem seemed to have stopped.

"Did we win..?" Jax said, as he slowly walked over to Theo, limping over his fractured leg. Theo looked at him, smiling as the other guards soon followed behind him, their injuries less severe. Tori then made her way to tend to Theo's wounds, smiling happily. However, those smiles were soon washed away at the sound of Theo's cry, warning them to get out of the way.

"Get out of the way! He's still moving!" Theo pointed at the man, as everyone quickly jumped away, making their way to safety. The man stood up, a mysterious aura began to emit from his entire body. His eyes stared right into Theo, as he began to raise parts of the rocky ground in the air, preparing to launch them towards the group. Theo was once again terrified, everything was for naught and he was facing death. Before the first boulder could be launched, Tori quickly grabbed onto Theo and jumped over to Jax, picking them up and vanishing further away, leaving them by the trees safely. The two guards escaped into the forest, and Tori was unable to find them.

"Theo, Jax, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"I'm all good, dunno if I can walk…" Jax groaned out, leaning on the tree.

"We need to get out of here…" Theo said, not looking at anybody. He stared forward blankly, still remembering the eyes of the man.

Tori looked over at the river that wasn't too far ahead. "I think we can escape, but we have to do so in one go. I can't find the other two, but I went around spreading the message to retreat, so they should be finding a way out." She picked up the both of them yet again.

"Tori, you're pretty strong…" Theo said, blushing a little as he gets picked up helplessly.

"Well, I don't think It's just that, you're pretty… light."

Theo chuckled. "Well, I haven't really done any fighting so I don't have any-"

"Can you two love birds save it for later, we're 'bout to die here." Jax declared.

"Ah, right, sorry." Tori ran over to the river, sprinting as close as possible before jumping over it. She didn't stop running, as she picked up speed and expended as much mana as possible to keep her senses and stamina up. She was strong enough to lift the two of them, but not for so long. Her main goal was to rush through the second and third sectors, which she began to enter. The spikes on the ground had already returned back down, and she feared that they would launch upwards at any given moment. She closed her eyes and prayed for luck, as she rushed all the way back to the first sector.

* * *

They arrived at the entrance for the second floor, Tori dropping Theo and Jax down as she fell, exhausted, resting on the floor.

"Good job, Tori, you saved us…" Theo said as he moved his body, standing up as he regained his energy.

"The guards… I'm worried sick for them" Tori said, breathing heavily.

Jax stood up as well, still limping. "Don't worry about 'em, they were trained under Darus' army. They'll make it out."

Theo reached his hand out to Tori. He smiled down at her, and she looked up and smiled back. She took his hand as he helped her up, both of them holding each others shoulders as they walked up the stairs. Jax followed behind, holding onto the railing. "You two go on ahead, I can make it up in my own time." Theo looked back at him, smiling and waving. He turned back and helped Tori up the stairs until they eventually reached the first floor.

When the two walked through the gates, they were surprised as many people were eagerly waiting for their return. Word spread that the divine child had gone into the dungeon, and everyone was seeing if he came back. Theo smiled at the crowd as they cheered for their return, unknowing that they retreated.

The crowd began to ask many questions, however the guild-master intercepted. "Give them some space!" he yelled to everyone, as they backed up, some of them returning to their tables. "Come this way, you two." he said, motioning them to enter the staff exclusive area. Theo and Tori followed, no longer holding onto each other. "My name is Faye, and I'm the guild master here. You two are in my care now, so come stay in this room so you can recharge."

"T-Thank you, Faye." Tori said, looking at the girl. She noticed that she was also an elf, and smiled. Tori went ahead into the room and rested on the bed, Theo following behind her as he sat next to her.

"Oh, Theo, I need to have a word with you." Faye said.

"Hmm? Not here?"

"No, it has to be in private. Come follow me to my office."

Theo stood up from the chair and followed her. He looked back at Tori before leaving the room. "I'll be fine…" she reassured him, as he closed the door. As the two of them walked to the office, Faye pointed up at the wall.

"You see all these portraits on the wall? These are all esteemed adventurers that have died. They were sent to the second floor in hopes of paving the path to the third, but never returned. These people wielded golden and platinum badges, but still never came back. I take it by the look on your face, you didn't make it to the third floor, rather you retreated, right?" She looked back at him.

Theo looked at her, nodding. "None of us died, however…" Theo thought to himself, _I'm taking Jax's word about those two guards._ "One of our members should be coming up soon, the swordsman that has spiky black hair and a glowing sword. His name is Jax."

"I see, I'll issue an award to him…" She approached her office, opening the door to let Theo in. He took a seat in front of the desk as Faye pulled a chair in front of him, sitting down.

"Theo, I need you to tell me everything about the boss."

"Boss?"

"You weren't here when were took the first floor, but each floor has a boss. The first floor boss was rather weak, about as strong as any monster you would see in the second floor, just a weak golem guarding the exit. So, what is the boss like? We already know of the weird qualities it possesses, such as the terrain manipulation."

"Well…"

"Did you see what it looked like? Was it big or small? How does it attack?"

"The thing is…"

Faye waited eagerly, looking at him with a notebook and pen in hand.

"It wasn't a monster… it was a human."

"A human?"

"Yeah…"

Faye lifted her hand to her chin, looking up as if she was deep in thought.

"Faye..?"

"Were you expecting a reaction?"

"H-Huh?"

"That isn't abnormal, after all, you probably fought a Cyr."

Theo looked at her blankly, then looked around, sweating slightly. He met eyes with her again before smiling, closing his eyes before asking his stupid question.

"A what now?"


	10. The Cloaked Lady

Chapter VII

Arc I: The Divine Child

* * *

**The Cloaked Lady**

Faye leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling as she sighed. "So the rumors were true…"

"Rumors?" Theo questioned, his interested being piqued as he leaned forward.

"There were rumors that the younger son of Hyland, Theo the divine child, was actually a naïve newbie who had no experience or knowledge of how this world works."

Theo froze, staring forward blankly. He was speechless. _How did they know_… he thought to himself.

"Well, that doesn't really change my view on you. You know, prophecies are pretty important. And you've got one hell of a prophecy, so maybe… you should start prioritizing that?"

_Prioritizing… my prophecy? I never gave a damn about it in the first place, so why should I care now? Actually… I've been acting different myself ever since I came down here, why am I bothering... what's wrong with me…_ Theo stayed silent, talking to himself as he concentrated on the ground, deep in thought.

"None of that matters now, I'm sure you can sort stuff like that out later… for one thing, it's about time you learn what a Cyr is. Actually, do you even know what an Alfa is?"

"Of course I do!" Theo looked up from his deep thinking, yelling out as if he was defending himself. "I learned about them in school!"

"Yeah, alright, so you know what they are?"

"They're… monsters…?"

Faye looked at him before bursting into laughter. "Pfft… Monsters?! Is that seriously what you think they are?! Hahahahahahahahahah-"

"...Fine! Then tell me what they are!" Theo said, tilting his head as he blushed in embarrassment.

Faye wiped the tears from her eyes. "I didn't think you were this naïve. Anyways, the Alfa are higher beings. They can take many shapes and forms, such as spirits, elementals, beasts and even minerals and things like trees or mountains. However, they cannot take the form of lesser beings like us, which leads us to the Cyr. The Cyr are Alfa's that do not take form, but need a vessel in order to exist. This is what you described to me, the floor 2 boss. I can't think of any other reason why it would be a human other than it being a Cyr. They don't appear often, but they have showed up in the past… so that is my closest guess."

"So… it's not a human?"

"Oh, it is still a human. However, after being possessed by the Cyr, they lose their senses and become helpless to the Cyr. They still exist, only physically. Their minds have been fully corrupted and controlled by the Cyr, however. So, tell me about it instead of just telling me what you say; what was it able to do?"

Theo looked up, remembering the terrifying sights that he witnessed. "Oh you have no clue, it was unbelievable. He had full control of everything in the floor, he could control the ground, the trees, the mountains. There were vines that he used to grab and immobilize anything nearby, he could shoot the stone up from the ground at any moment, and there were rocks and boulders flying from nearby mountains; heck, they could come out of nowhere!"

Faye started to write down in her notebook, nodding her head. "I see… was the vessel moving at all?"

"No, he stayed completely still… which is why I tried to see if knocking him over did anything, but it didn't. There seemed to be vines connecting him to the floor, so…"

"Well, that's the logical way to go about things. Don't fret, that was a smart choice of yours. But since he wasn't moving, that means the Cyr can't control the vessel, meaning one thing…"

Faye leaned forward, as did Theo. She seemed to have piqued his interest. Theo was absorbed by the Cyr. _Perhaps if I take this down, then I could clear my name… the rumors will stop, and maybe I'll be respected by everyone… no, I'll be revered, people will know my name everywhere!_ He thought to himself as he leaned.

"If you can kill the vessel, you can kill the Cyr."

"Is… that it?"

"Yep."

Theo paused. He slowly looked down at his hands before covering his face with them. Then he abruptly lashed his hands into the air and began yelling.

"God damnit! I already knew that!"

Faye smiled teasingly at him. "Well, why don't you go get some rest and head out once you're all better?"

Theo got out of his chair and walked to the door, groaning as he left. "Man, this conversation was useless, I already knew what to do…" Faye cheerfully grinned as he closed the door behind him.

"Now then…" she said as she walked back behind her desk, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a portrait of a family of half elves. She placed her thumb near a little girl at the bottom, her purple eyes shining bright as she smiled confidently. "It's been some time, hasn't it? My sister, Tori-no, Victoria…"

* * *

As the next day came, Theo was lying in bed when he awoke. He turned to his left and saw an empty bed. _It looks like Tori is already up._ He smiled and turned to his right, looking at a man with platinum hair resting. His leg was up, bandages from his ankle all the way up to his knee. _So that's Jax… I've never seen him without his helmet on_. Theo got up and walked out, he peeked into other rooms as he walked down the hallway. He saw two men in beds, with armor by the floor near them that resembled the two soldiers. _So they did make it back? Guess Jax wasn't wrong_. He kept walking until he exited the staff area, he looked around and took it all in. _So this is the daily sight of an adventurer… it sort of has a nice aesthetic to it._ He looked at the groups of people in parties at tables, discussing something. He looked at the wall huggers who look like they just experienced something traumatizing, in reality they probably just want to look cool. He looked at the hit board, which he expected to be full of quests that have many skulls on it. It looks like there is nothing to do in the dungeon, as the only paper up there was a hit on the newly founded boss, the "Cyr of Floor 2." It was a bloody piece of paper, stating the magnitude number of deaths that it had taken. "Over 2000+ adventurers have fallen to this monster, 3 of which were platinum-badged adventurers. We highly advise you do not take on this hit if you are below platinum and alone." Theo took a step forward before he was called.

"Theo! Over here!" He could hear Tori's voice, as he looked in her direction. She was sitting down with Faye at one of the middle tables. "Come, it's time to get our badges!"

_Badges?_ He thought to himself. _I guess we have to become adventurers then. But still, shouldn't we have done this first? Rushing in was such a stupid idea_. Theo walked over to them and took a seat. Tori grinned his way, as if she was eager to tell him something.

"Is… there something you want?"

"Oh, it's nothing…"

"Oh, okay." Theo said, as he turned to Faye and ignored her.

"W-Wait! Actually, there is something..!"

_So she was hiding something. That response was… cute._

"Oh? And what's that?" Theo turned back to her smiling. She reached to her neck and pulled out a necklace that was in her shirt. It was a platinum tag that had her name on it.

"P-P-Platinum?! But don't we start out as bronze?!" Theo looked at Faye, expecting answers.

"Actually, Tori already has a history of accomplishments, so she is eligible for the platinum badge to start out. She's taken out many beasts as an assassin. You, however, have a blank slate!" She said, handing him a bronze tag.

"Thanks…" Theo said with a hint of jealousy as he took the tag.

"Also, in order for you to be properly registered, you have to go over there." She pointed at the line of people waiting in front of the booth, "Once you register over there, you'll be able to be paid for doing jobs and hits from the adventurer's guild. You'll also pick your class and have your affinity read again. Picking your class can affect your affinity, the moment you decide on a class, it becomes your calling."

Theo turned to Tori, and she knew what he wanted to know. "When I first trained as an assassin, I chose the archer class, and I eventually became a thief." She pulled up her sleeve, revealing the hidden crossbow on her wrist. She also motioned Theo to look at her waist, which she pulled her cloak back to reveal throwing knives and a sheathed dagger. "As a thief, stealth and agility are the main qualities."

"I see…" Theo said out loud. _I wonder what other classes there are_.

Faye giggled a little and raised her hand to her mouth. "Don't tell me you don't know what the other classes are…"

Theo flinched upwards. "O-Of course I know what they are! There's the swordsman… and the archer… the spearman… and the mage-"

"Hey, you're just reciting the classes of the four great heroes!"

"Those are classes too!"

Faye sighed, "The way you don't know these things is kind of cute, but honestly, at least look into things in your spare time."

"The moment I left your office, I rested, I was exhausted!"

"Yeah yeah, you probably don't need to know the other classes since you're going to be a swordsman. There are six main classes, the spearman and swordsman class got merged into the warrior class, there's the archer, the mage, and the addition of three new classes since the four heroes: the engineer, the priest and the beast tamer. What you probably don't know is as you rank up and earn the next badge, you get the next set of classes. These classes branch out from your previous one, for instance the warrior can become a dual-wielder, a defender, and many more. The engineer can become a blacksmith, the mage a summoner, the archer a marksman and many more variants of the classes." Faye pulled out her badge, "But hey, even though I am the guild master, I'm still only a bronze adventurer."

Theo stroked his chin, taking in all the information. He sighed in reassurance at the thought of Faye also being a bronze adventurer, and got up to get registered. "So all I have to do is state the class I want and have my affinity read to me?"

Faye nodded. "Don't take too long!"

Theo walked over to the line, looking ahead at all the people registering. They all looked different. There was a large man with an axe, a cloaked person, a generic looking guy with a sword, and more. As people turned around and saw him, they moved out of his way and let him pass them. He felt awkward, it was unusual for people to treat him with such respect and modesty, however as he passed through the people, he felt an unusually strong presence. He looked around as he sensed it, and when he looked at the cloaked girl, he immediately knew it was coming from her. There was this sort of aura coming from her that he couldn't describe. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so he continued until he reached the booth.

"We've been awaiting you, Theo. We were surprised you went on when you first got here, everyone's heads were turning as you walked through the doors and immediately into the second floor!"

"Yeah, I was surprised we didn't come here first either." He said, sighing.

"So, have you decided which path you'd like to follow?" She said as she swiped her arm across, six floating scrolls appearing as they passed her arm. The scrolls had symbols on them, clearly stating which class they were. Theo raised his hand and guided it to the scroll that had the sword on it. The scroll immediately vanished and imbued onto his hand, the other scrolls poofing into thin air.

"Ah, the warrior class? Fitting for a hero like yourself!"

"Well, maybe not a hero…" The guild lady motioned Theo to place his hand onto the mark that was imprinted on the booth table.

"Place your hand here, I will read your affinity." Theo did as he was told, and as he hovered his hand over the marking, the lady looked at the symbol on his hand. The symbol of divinity. As the marking began to light up, a powerful vortex of wind engulfed his hand and moved up to his arm. As soon as the wind subsided, he jerked his arm back.

"Oh my, you have an immensely powerful affinity for wind; most likely the strongest I have ever witnessed here! The royal family is usually known for having a powerful affinity for wind, however this tops the charts!"

Theo looked at his hand. _What was that just now? Was it because she was reading my affinity?_

"You don't seem to have any special quirks for the other three elements, however you can control them all slightly, but nowhere near as powerful as you are with wind. Well then, good luck on your adventures!" She sent him off with a smile. Everybody clapped as Theo walked back, including the girl in the cloak whom Theo passed by again. He looked at her once more, however this time their eyes met. She flinched back and walked away from the booth, and unknowingly, Theo chased after her. _Wait… why am I following this person? They seem dangerous, what am I doing…_

"Hey, wait a second!" Theo said, as he grabbed onto her hand before she could run. Her hood began to fall for a second, but she quickly grabbed it before she could reveal her face. "Why did you run?"

She stayed silent, loosening his grip before turning around to walk away yet again. For some reason, Theo had an odd fixation on her. _Is it her alarmingly powerful presence? Is it the scar that I saw under her eye? Why am I… intrigued by this person?_ He continued to follow her in secret. "Weren't you going to register? Why aren't you-"

"Go away." She said with a quiet, calm voice.

"What?"

"I said go away. Leave me." She paused her walking, waiting for him to leave.

"Tell me why you left first."

"Why are you so insistent? Just leave me."

Theo began to get frustrated. _I know that I'm being bothersome, but this girl… doesn't she know who I am? She shouldn't be… no, I shouldn't let my ego get to my head. But still, she's hiding something… and I want to find out._ He took another step forwards. "Tell me."

She turned around and faced him, once again telling him off. Theo took this opportunity and quickly skipped forward, pulling her hood back. For a split second before she could pull her hood back, Theo saw it. She had small black cat ears, and she was wearing an eyepatch. She quickly pulled her hood back on, looking around to see if anybody noticed her. She tensed up.

"Did you see…"

Theo looked down at her, confused at why she was acting defensive. "See what? All I saw were your ca-" The girl quickly covered his mouth with her hand, pulling him off to the side where less people could see them. "Don't say that so loudly!" She whispered seriously to Theo.

"I don't see the problem with your cat ears, why do you wear a hood?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

The girl sighed. "Look, just leave me alone, alright? You got what you wanted." She began to leave, however her exit path was blocked. Tori and Faye passed the corner to check what was going on.

"Theo, are you alright? We saw somebody drag you over here." worried Tori as she looked at the cloaked girl. "Oh, are you a friend of-"

"Hold on a moment…" Faye interrupted, darting her eyes at the girl. "You seem familiar…"

As she tensed up more and more, the girl kept losing options of leaving. In order to save herself, she made a decision.

"I-I'm here asking Theo if I could join your… party." The girl said, her voice breaking in nervousness. Tori smiled and held her hands together.

"Awww, of course you can join us! But we go on pretty dangerous missions…"

"T-That's fine! I-I can… handle myself…"

"Wait, Tori, are you sure you're just going to accept that easily?"

Theo interrupted the three of them. "Well, the more the merrier, right?" He looked over to the girl, smiling, reassuring that he was covering for her. _She's definitely hiding something big, now that she's with us, it should be easy getting it out of her_.

They all walked back to the table. Theo kept glancing at her when her face was slightly visible. Her expression made it clear how she was feeling. "Get me out of here, this is bad, I'm screwed!" is what her face was screaming. It wasn't even her face, the nervousness was so strong that Theo could feel it himself. As they reached the table, she sat next to Theo across from the two.

"So, why don't you introduced yourself?" said Faye.

"M-My name is Py-" She paused for a moment.

"Py?" Tori said, tilting her head at her in confusion.

"P-Pyra, my name is Pyra! I-I haven't registered yet, so-" She suddenly got the idea of leaving them to go register, and not coming back.

"Good to meet you, Pyra!" Tori smiled at her, "So what class do you have in mind?"

"I'm thinking maybe… starting out as a warrior, then becoming a brawler."

"Ah, a warrior just like Theo!" Tori's eyes widened as did her smile.

"I-I should go register." Pyra got up and slowly walked over to the booth. Theo stood up as well, following her. "I'll go too, just to make sure you don't get lost."

Pyra looked up at him and gave him a quick scornful look. The two of them walked back to the booth. "Why are you doing this?" Pyra asked.

"I don't know honestly, I was interested at first but now I'm even more interested."

She sighed and looked forward. "You're going to get me into trouble."

Theo looked at her, confused. "Trouble? You're probably the safest with us, don't worry about a thing! We'll protect you no matter what, especially with where we're going."

Pyra began to walk a little slower. She could sense that Theo was genuine, that he actually wanted to protect her. However, she wouldn't let her guard down. "You mean where you're going? I'm not coming with you."

"Oh you're coming with us alright, we definitely need more people." As they approached the booth, Pyra picked out her warrior class and hovered her hand over the marking to get her affinity read. Similarly to Theo, her hand started to burn up as it was engulfed in a fire. It wasn't as powerful as Theo's, which surrounded his entire arm, but it was still strong nonetheless. And it wasn't just fire, it seemed like there were other elements as well, just faintly sensible.

"My, miss, you have such a powerful affinity for fire! And on top of that, you have an adequate affinity for all the other three elements! This is truly a rare occasion, you have great potential!" Said the guild lady.

Pyra didn't flinch or seem affected by the news at all. It was as if she already knew about her powerful affinity. She looked down and turned around to walk back. However, she stopped when Theo called out her name.

"Pyra."

"Y-Yes..?"

"Now we definitely need you in our party."


End file.
